Requiem for an Urkel is the eleventh episode of the second season of Family Matters, which aired on ABC on November 23, 1990. It was directed by Joel Zwick and written by David W. Dulcon.
Synopsis[]
Laura is being antagonized and bullied by Willie Fuffner (Larenz Tate) for refusing to go to the dance with him. He chases all of her prospect male dates to the sidelines until she is forced to go to the dance with Urkel. Steve stands up for Laura and gets into a fight with Willie at school. Instead of taking the sensible route and getting them to apologize, the coach decides they should to get it on in the ring. This leads Carl and Eddie to teach the uncoordinated Urkel everything he needs to know about defending himself in the ring. Meanwhile, Estelle finds a new man in Fletcher Thomas, much to Carl's dismay.
Plot[]
In the Beginning scene, Harriette and Rachel are introduced to Fletcher Thomas by Estelle and tells them not to mention this to Carl because she knows how much of a hissy fit he'll have every time she goes out on a date with a new man
Later on, Harriette tells Laura that she can go to the Sadie Hawkins dance, but be back home by 11:00. She complains and asks when she will be allowed to have an extended curfew. Harriette tells Laura when she learns not to spit cereal in Judy's face again and not make fun of Eddie's lack of intelligence. Urkel visits and she tells him that she has plans to ask Greg Hudson, a nice boy in her class, to go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with her. Laura turned down Urkel's invitation to go with her. Instead of repeatedly begging her to go to the dance with him, Steve makes a deal: if Greg flakes out on her (although it wouldn't happen), he'll be waiting for her with his Uncle Ernie and his decked out horse trailer. Laura agrees to the deal with him.
The next day, Vanderbilt Middle School's resident bully and locker looter, Willie Fuffner, along with his dim-witted sidekick, Waldo Faldo, try to break into Urkel's locker to trash it. However, his alarm system alerts him forcing both boys to run. Steve confronts the two about violating his property, but he gets no support from the students. Minutes later, Laura shows up and asks Greg out immediately. However upon seeing Willie, he refuses and she leaves as he tries to explain himself. Urkel confront him and tells Greg that he was a fool to refuse her invitation. Greg reveals to Steve he'd love to go with Laura, but Willie won't even let him. He mentions a while back she insulted Willie by refusing to go out with him to the Sadie Hawkins Dance, when he asked her at the time. Steve is proud of her for standing up for herself, but his friend is worried. When asked why, Greg also reveals that Willie's antagonizing her by threatening to force him and the rest of her prospect dates to the dating sidelines with bodily harm if they defy him by showing up to the dance with her. Urkel asks him if Willie has plans to make Laura go alone. Greg says even worse and reveals Willie has plans to make her the laughingstock of the entire student body by forcing her to go with Steve as payback for refusing to be his date.
Irate by that, Urkel confronts Willie for forcing Laura to go to the dance with him. He calls it despicable on his part and will not tolerated it. Willie takes it as a compliment and is taken by surprise when Steve slaps him with a mitten. Urkel demands that he apologize to Laura at once or else he'll face the consequences in refusing. Still shocked, Willie complains to Waldo that Steve had the nerve to stand up to him and slap him in the face with a mitten. Waldo wisely warns him to be careful because Urkel has another one on hand to slap him with. Insulted by the fact Steve refused to back down, Willie chases after him. Soon after, the student body is cheering for both boys when they get into a big fight at school, while Waldo is trying to pull them apart. It isn't long before Coach Redding shows up and breaks up the fight. He threatens to take Urkel and Willie to Principal Shimata's office and have them face the consequences for fighting. When Steve once again demands that he apologize to Laura for his actions, Willie refuses and challenges him to a fight. Urkel accepts his challenge, telling Willie off that he will fight for Laura's honor and her right to go to the dance with someone else. Instead of taking the sensible route to get the two apologize and seeing that they want to finish their fight, Redding makes an appointment for Steve and Willie to meet in the boxing ring at Silver's Gym (with proper supervision)! Both boys agree to meet on that day. Willie claims that he has $10 against Urkel showing. Steve makes it clear that he'll be there all right because he is not one to back away from a fight and will even wear bells there. As he leaves, Waldo asks Willie if he was serious about the bells. Willie responds by opening his locker and hitting Waldo with the door.
At Silver's Gym, Carl spends part of the episode giving Urkel a few pointers, but the results are what you'd expect. This leaves Carl frustrated to the point he wants to chase after Steve.
In the Winslow's home, Carl is less than thrilled to meet Estelle's new boyfriend, Fletcher, after she comes home. They get into a few fights with each other and she convinces him to give him a chance. Carl is however, convinced to try and break his mother and Fletcher apart, believing that her new boyfriend is not good enough for her.
Come Saturday morning at Silver's Gym, Greg greets Laura and her family, but she refuses to talk to him. When asked why she won't talk to him, Laura reveals she's really irritated with him and the other guys right now for being cowards. She points out that Steve was the only one that was brave enough to stand up to Willie and fight for her rights to go to the dance with someone else. Seconds later, Fuffner comes in with Waldo and the crowd immediately boos him as he makes his way in the ring. Then Urkel shows up decked out in a colorful robe with Eddie and Carl, and the crowd cheers. Coach Redding is the announcer and referee for the No Holds Bar Match-Up between Urkel and Fuffner. Of course, Willie quickly gains the upper hand, and it isn't long before he has the nerd seeing visions of multiple Lauras! Shortly thereafter, Laura declares she's seen enough, and tells Willie what she thinks of him.
During that time, Greg, inspired by Urkel's bravery in standing up to Willie, stands up and challenges Willie, saying he has to fight him after he gets finished with Urkel, and reveals he's sick of Willie for sending him and the others to the sidelines. Willie accepts the subsequent invitation from Greg, but is then forced to reconsider when he sees every other guy on the stands get up to face him, as they're all irate and fed up as well. Willie and Waldo run off, and Carl declares Urkel the winner with principle. Greg asks Laura to the dance, but she declines his offer, and decides to attend the Sadie Hawkins dance with Steve anyway, since he was the only one who stood up and defended her decision to date the other guys. Urkel is shocked by this decision, but accepts it.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Carl Winslow
- Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (credited as Jo Marie Payton-France)
- Rosetta LeNoire as Estelle Winslow
- Darius McCrary as Eddie Winslow
- Kellie Shanygne Williams as Laura Winslow
- Jaimee Foxworth as Judy Winslow
- Bryton James as Richie Crawford (credited as Bryton McClure)
- Jaleel White as Steve Urkel
- Telma Hopkins as Rachel Crawford
Guest[]
Recurring[]
- Shawn Harrison as Waldo Geraldo Faldo
- Larenz Tate as Willie Fuffner
- Arnold Johnson as Fletcher Thomas
Cameo[]
- David Hayward as Coach Redding
- Aaron Lohr as Greg
- Salim Grant as Student #2
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the first appearances of Shawn Harrison as Waldo Faldo and Arnold Johnson as Fletcher Thomas.
- This marks the first time that Silver's Gym appeared. It would take 7 seasons for the gym to make a reappearance in "Whose Man Is It Anyway?".
- This is the second and last episode this season to feature the Lorimar Television music in the closing credits.
- The scene where Urkel defends Laura is referenced in "What's Up Doc?" during Harriette's argument
Goofs[]
- The mitten that Urkel smacks Fuffner with, immediately jumps from being unstrapped to off of his hand in a split second.
Quotes[]
- [Walks over to Willie Fuffner]
- Urkel: Fuffner, I've heard of some low things in my time, but forcing Laura to go to the dance with me is plain despicable.
- Willie: [Wipes his own mouth from Urkel's spit] Thank you.
- Urkel: [Unstraps his gloves] Sir, not only have you harassed and insulted me, but you have sullied the reputation of my lady love.
- [slaps Willie with his gloved hand]
- Urkel: I demand satisfaction.
- Willie: He hit me with a mitten.
- Waldo: Be careful he has another one.
- Willie: [Grabs Steve's gloves] Urkel, you are dead meat!
- Urkel: [is chased and hides behind a jock] Hold me back, hold me back.
- Carl: Mama, you were kissing that man.
- Estelle: So?
- Carl: Well, you're my mother. Moms aren't supposed to do that stuff.
- Estelle: If mothers didn't do that stuff, you wouldn't be here.
- Greg: Hi, Laura.
- Laura: Hello Greg.
- Greg: Are you okay?
- Laura: No, it really bugs me that Steve is the only guy with enough guts to stand up to Willie.